Postgraduate course
2022/2023
Research Seminar
Type:
Compulsory course
Area of studies:
Political Science and Area Studies
Delivered by:
School of Politics and Governance
Where:
Faculty of Social Sciences
When:
2 year, 1 semester
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Mikhail Ilyin
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
36
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The postgraduate seminar is held throughout the entire period of study and includes modules aimed at mastering the skills of developing the design of a political science research and preparing a dissertation research program, mastering the skills of academic writing and preparing scientific articles, discussing the theoretical and empirical part of a dissertation research. The seminar introduces modern approaches and methods for conducting political science research in line with the positivist and interpretive paradigms, teaches the basic principles of academic writing, develops practical skills in planning research and presenting its results in the form of texts and oral presentations. Within the framework of the seminar, graduate students have unique opportunities to discuss dissertation research at different stages, from the formation of an idea and the development of methodology to testing the results.
Learning Objectives
- The course is aimed at advancing the PhD students' skills in designing a research.
- The course facilutates a better understanding of the methodological problems involved in designing a social research
- The course helps to elaborate a research proposal for future thesis.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- can critically access the academic relevance of the research problem;
- is able ro formulate a research problem for the future thesis. It able to support the statement of research problem by relevant arguments based on analysis of the literature;
- knows the principles of analysis of relevant literature; can do its screening to reveal the research problem;
- is able to access critically an academic relevance and originality of the research problem proposed by colleagues;
- is able to provide arguments for the proposed research problem;
- is able to chose the strategy for the proposed research;
- is able to elaborate a design of the proposed research;
- is able to formulate the research problem and research question;
- is able to write a research proposal as text;
- knows how types of research questions correspond to research strategies;
- is able to discuss the choice of research question, strategy, theories, concepts, methods proposed by colleagues;
- is able to distinguish between different kinds of theory. Understands their role in research;
- is able to explain the functions of concepts, theories, hypothesis and models in different types of social research;
- is able to discuss the design of research for future thesis;
- is able to access critically designs of research proposed by colleagues;
- is able to elaborate the design of research for future thesis;
- can formulate a correct research question;
- understands what kind of data is relevant for unswering the proposed research question;
Course Contents
- С чего начать, или нулевой цикл исследовательского проекта / How do we start, or Doing pre-research
- Постановка исследовательской проблемы / Statement of the research problem
- Разработка дизайна исследования. Исследовательский вопрос и стратегии исследования. Подготовка программы исследования / Research design. Research question and research strategy. Writing a research proposal
- Инструменты научного исследования: понятия, теории, гипотезы, модели / Analytic tools of a social research: Concepts, theories, hypothesis, models
- Presentation of research proposal for PhD dissertation
- Эмпирические данные и дизайн исследования / Data and research design.
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Bechhofer, F., & Paterson, L. (2000). Principles of Research Design in the Social Sciences. London: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=63918
- Blaikie, N. W. H., & Priest, J. (2017). Social Research : Paradigms in Action. Malden, MA: Polity. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1450526
- Creswell, J. W. . (DE-588)133331512, (DE-576)164944168. (1994). Research design : qualitative and quantitative approaches / John W. Creswell. Thousand Oaks, Calif. [u.a.]: Sage. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.040749258
- John Gerring (2013) Case Study: What is and What it Does?, The Oxford Handbook of Political Science, edited by Robert E. Goodin, Online Version, DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199604456.013.0051
- Sartori, G. (1970). Concept Misformation in Comparative Politics. American Political Science Review, (04), 1033. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.cup.apsrev.v64y1970i04p1033.1053.13
- Политология. Методы исследования, Мангейм, Д. Б., 1999
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- King, G., Keohane, R. O., & Verba, S. (1995). The Importance of Research Design in Political Science. American Political Science Review, (02), 475. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.cup.apsrev.v89y1995i02p475.481.09